Water Heart | P.Sh

| 1 |

"Miss Mae!" a loud voice shrieked out through the bakery as I pulled my hair up to tie it in it's usual bun.

"Mister Kim!" I yelled back in return with a small laugh as I rushed into the bakery, looking at Sunoo, whose sleeves were rolled up over his elbows.

"What makes you think it is alright for you to still pick the bread late when I wake up in the ungodly hours of the day to do my job?" Sunoo questioned in disbelief and placed his hands on his hips, "without me you won't be anywhere."

"And without me your bread won't be seeling," I retorted as I tied up the top of my overshirt, tightening the corest part of it, "I'm your best saleswoman and you need to realize it."

"We did not move here for you to wake up late," Sunoo gushed in return as he wiped off his hands in his cloth.

"Need I remind you who of us is the oldest?" I retorted and he only raised his eyebrows in disbelief.

"With like six months," he reminded and I chuckled in amusement, "get the bread and get going. I'm going back to sleep."

"We'll earn just as usual Sunshine, I promise," I assured him as I walked over beside him and reached up to ruffle his hair, "this is what we spent our whole childhood on preparing for back in little Abbotsbury all the way back in lil-England. Remember?"

"I adore you as my sister, but that also mans you annoy the shit out of me," he reminded as he looked down at me, while I grabbed my basket and spread my checkered cloth in the bottom of it.

"Likewise," I offered him a small smile while grabbing the still warm breads and placed them in the basket, "I'll be going to the Fàns first. I will remember to say hi to Lin for you."

"I beg you... please stop," Sunoo let out a small whine at me.

"Why?" I complained in amusement as I threw another cloth over the bread in the basket, "you find her beautiful, don't you?"

"So?" he questioned as he leaned his elbows down on the table in front of him.

"She always wants to buy the first bread in the bunch, says that no one bakes as well as you," I shrugged before smirking slightly at him, "I'm sure she would love to bake bread with you one day."

"Oh, you're disgusting," he scrunched his nose up at me, pushing my shoulder as I just let out a small laugh.

"But I'm serious," I shrugged at him, "at least try and see if you can court her. I know we're at most middle class and her family is sickly wealthy... but you know... she stares at you when we go to the market together. She wants you."

"Sooo... everyone thinks the two of us are engaged," he reminded and I simply rolled my eyes.

"That is because this culture has a serious problem with seeing how two of opposite genders can be friends and co-owners of their own little bakery without going to bed with one another," I shortly replied and grabbed the basket.

"I would rather die than see you naked," Sunoo snorted and I nodded in agreement.

"Now go up and get your beauty sleep," I urged and patted his shoulder as I walked past him and supported the basket on my hip while wandering to the door, "I'll tell Lin that she can come to gather bread with me for the evening bunch."

"Soomin..." he sighed deeply as he straightened up.

"What?" I questioned in amusement as I opened the door and he untied his apron before placing it on the table in front of him, "you want it, don't you?"

He only sighed deeply before sending me a small smile, eventually mounting the stairs to go back to sleep once again.

"Thought so," I mumbled to myself in amusement.

The moment the door closed behind me I was reminded of the sharp sunlight there was in the mornings here. Shining right into my eyes as I looked up and down the busy street.

"Morning miss, do you have a loaf for me?" a man greeted as he wandered past me.

"I'm afraid I have a permanent promise with miss Fàn that she buys first," I excused and he only chuckled in amusement as I continued down the road to my left, happily walking through the streets.

I always greeted everyone on my way, hoping they recalled my kindness and would buy from me any other morning. 

The Fàns lived in quite a big house, compared to the small rocky shack-like house Sunoo and I had down near the harbour. Their house was actually made to stand straight, whereas our house has a tendency to tilt slightly to the left.

"Aiii, Soomin!" Lin happily opened the door for me, already having money in hand, "am I the first one?"

"Denied my first costumer just for you," I nodded at her with a wide smile, slowly pulling away the cloth from the bread.

"Ah it always looks so good," she murmured in disbelief, bending down to look closer at the bread, "when was he up this morning?"

"Long before I was," I admitted a small laugh and she snickered happily.

"I believe there went the most love into this," Lin decided and grabbed a bread from the basket, extending her hand with the money towards me, "I know it's more than your usual price, but just keep it."

"Thank you," I smiled and placed the money in my pocket, "feel free to stop by the bakery when we bake the evening bunch."

"Are you sure?" she questioned and I immediately nodded, "won't Sunoo mind when it is in his work-hours."

"I think he'd enjoy some company," I shook my head as an excuse.

"I will consider it, thank you," she nodded happily at me.

I quickly did a small courtsy before she closed the door with a small smile and I rushed out to get the rest of the bread sold, approaching people on the street and getting approached by returning customers.